First, on the practical side, if you’re going nuts spending this much time with your kids, I have a small little way to help.

Everyday I’m releasing a new episode of the Mommy’s Pen podcast where I read a chapter from my kit lit novel, The Cat, the Cash, the Leap and the List. I’m hoping it will give your kid something to look forward to each day, and provide a moment where you can go drink a glass of water and breathe.

Now, on the emotional side, we’re about a week into this mess. How are you holding up? Are you over the initial shock and grief?

Frankly, I feel like I have an unfair advantage in situations like this. No, I don’t have a storage shed full of toilet paper, but I have had the metaphorical rug pulled out from under me several times in my past.

To give you just a taste—and without getting too heavy for a family blog—in my early thirties, shortly after having Nora, I developed type 1 diabetes. I’ve been insulin dependent ever since and I spent about a year struggling with grief and anxiety. These days, I consider it one of the biggest blessings of my life.

The most important takeaway from experiences with groundlessness is this: I cannot control the universe. I can only work to control my own mind.

And I don’t have to let my mind spin out of control and add a layer of suffering to an already painful situation. We cannot know what our lives will look like on the other side of this, even though our brains are busy fabricating scary stories about it. We do not have to believe those stories.

Here are some dos and don’ts I set for myself during this, er, experience. Maybe they’ll be helpful for you, too.

Do:

Use this is a character building opportunity — who do I want to be on the other side of this?

Be compassionate—to myself as much as others.

Journal my thoughts, notice how they create feelings.

Challenge each thought — is it really true? Or am I creating a story to scare the pants off myself?

Make art! Make things!

Maintain my best habits.

Keep a gratitude journal. I put a jar on the kitchen table and everyday the kids and I write things we’re thankful for on little slips of pink paper and drop them in.

Make decisions—don’t just sit in confusion—and don’t second guess myself.

Find ways to help others. I’m getting a kit from a local hospital system to make face masks.

Set goals for my time.

Get outside.

Don’t:

Constantly read the news! Set boundaries around media consumption.

Let my brain spin-out without questioning it.

Let myself spiral into bad habits that won’t serve me.

Judge others. When I judge others, I lose.

Try to control others. Same deal, if I try to control others, I only make myself crazy in the process.

Argue with reality. It’s a direct path to suffering.

Ultimately, my guiding principle is this: when I don’t know what to do, I choose something that strengthens me. Even if it’s only drinking a big glass of water and taking some deep breaths.

For most of us, if we look at this exact moment, we are just fine. Take it moment by moment and remind yourself of that as many times as you need to.

Since we’re all on an extended dance mix of a Spring break, I thought I’d help supply some entertainment.

I’ll be reading my book, chapter by chapter, on the podcast and releasing one episode per day until I’ve read the whole book. There are 21 chapters, so it will take most of a month. Hope you enjoy it and you and your family stay safe and well during this time.

We’re back from our longer than expected hiatus! Five-year-old Alma Bea has taken over the co-host seat as Nora is almost thirteen and she’s just not having it anymore. Sigh. All things must pass. We’ll always have 60 episodes.

New co-host: Alma Bea

But Alma’s enthusiasm for Ivy & Bean should raise all of our spirits.

You can also listen using any number of podcast platforms and apps including Apple, Spotify, Castbox, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

Our mailing list! Sign up today and you’ll get cool subscriber only perks like bonus material.

Disclosure: By the way, all of these links are affiliate links, so if you buy something, you pay the same, but Nora gets a few pennies for her big 8th grade trip fund. Or maybe Alma should get the money now? She’d probably just spend it on stuffed narwhals.

This week we to talk Jamie Sumner, a middle grade author living in Nashville who’s wonderful novel Roll With It is earning rave reviews since its release in October, including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist.

Her second and third middle-grade novels with Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster) will be coming out in 2020 and 2021. She is also the author of the nonfiction book on motherhood, Unbound.

Jamie has written for the New York Times and the Washington Post as well as other publications and is the reviews editor at Literary Mama.

She’s also a mom to a son with cerebral palsy and she writes and speaks about disability in literature. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She and her family live in Nashville, Tennessee. Visit her at www.jamie-sumner.com.

You can also listen using any number of podcast platforms and apps including Spotify, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

This week we to talk Julie Sternberg, a middle grade author living in Brooklyn who writes charming stories about everyday kids.

Julie is the author of the best-selling LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE; its sequels LIKE BUG JUICE ON A BURGER and LIKE CARROT JUICE ON A CUPCAKE; THE TOP-SECRET DIARY OF CELIE VALENTINE series; and the picture book BEDTIME AT BESSIE AND LIL’S.

Her books have received many accolades, including: LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE is a Gryphon Award winner and a Texas Bluebonnet Award finalist; LIKE BUG JUICE ON A BURGER is a Gryphon Honor Book, a Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Awards Nominee, and an Illinois Monarch Award Finalist; and LIKE CARROT JUICE ON A CUPCAKE was named An Amazon Best Book of 2014 for kids ages 6-8. The JUICE series as a whole has been named to the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books’ Stellar Series List.

Before becoming a writer, Julie worked as a public interest lawyer. She graduated from Princeton University with highest honors and holds a JD from Harvard Law School and an MFA in Creative Writing from the New School.

You can also listen using any number of podcast platforms and apps including Spotify, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

We’re continuing our author interview series with another Canadian author, Kristin Glasbergen.

You can also listen using any number of podcast platforms and apps including Spotify, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

Show Notes:

Season 8, Episode 2: Kristin Glasbergen, Author of Dragon Canyon

This week we to talk Kristin Glasbergen, a Canadian author who was brilliant enough to mix Lit RPG with Dragons! She writes a middle grade series called Dragon Canyon. The first book is Fire of Four and we learn the story behind it and the help she got from her 12-year-old, dragon-loving daughter.

Kristin is the author of the Dragon Canyon series. A story for middle-grade readers based on a fictitious multiplayer video game.

She also writes young adult books. Red Magic, a paranormal romance, is available now.

Kristin lives on the beach, in her mind. In reality, she lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband, two kids, two cats, and a dog guide foster puppy.

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What kind of blog is this?

This is a blog for PARENTS. True, the writer, Sue Campbell, writes books for kids. But this blog is for grown-ups. It has some swearing and would be super boring for kids. Except for the swearing.

The PODCAST is for KIDS and PARENTS. In fact, my twelve-year-old daughter is my co-host.

If your kids like Sue's books, send them over to suecampbellbooks.com where there's some kid-friendly content. EVEN BETTER, join the mailing list. You get stuff for grown-ups and printable stuff for kids. And sometimes there will be super ill-advised giveaways or coloring contests for free books.

MORE ABOUT SUE: She makes an ACTUAL LIVING from writing words and marketing books and lives with her husband, two daughters, six chickens and one messy house rabbit in Portland, Oregon. And yes, Portland IS that weird. She really couldn't be any luckier.